Actuating mechanism for reciprocating trough conveyers



Jan. 2, 1923.

AcTuATmc MECHANISM S. NETTLETON.

FOR RECIPROCAT NG TRoucH Couvcvsns.

FILED JULY 14, 1921 Patented den. 2, E9223.

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STANLEY NETTLETON, 0E LONDON, ENGLAND.

Application filed July 14, 192i. serial No. 484,670.

endures unniz-a ran rnovrsrcns or run an or its To (@ZZ w/imn it may concern:

li o it known that l: STANLEY Nnrrrin'ron, subject of the King of Great Britain and resident of London England, have invented certain new and useful improvements in i-ictuating Mechanism for Reciprocating Trough Conveyers (for which I made application for Letters Patent in Great Britain. July 5, 191? which has since become patented as No. 11 M385), of which the fol lowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to actuating mechanism for reciprocating trough conveyers.

The object is to provide a novel mechanism, and one suitable for actuating a stop conveyer. by which harmonic motion due to a crank is converted by link mechanism to cause the velocity of the trough on the forward stroke to be increased gradually to the maximum near to the end of the stroke and then rapidly fall to zero the operation being reversed. on the return stroke.

The mechanism is shown in side elevation in l igurel. of the accon'ipanying drawings.

Figure is an illustrative diagram.

(1. indicates a trough suspended by chains 7) or carried by rollers or any other suitable means which permit of longitudinal reciprocation. c is a frame for the actuating mechanism, shown mounted on a column d. e is a crank mounted on the frame 0 and fast with a sprocket 7 which is driven by a motor g.

If the crank 6 were connected directly to the conveyer by a connecting rod such as h or s the motion of the conveyer would be approximately harmonic; link mechanism is accordingly introduced between the crank and the trough such as to vary the har monic motion by increasing or decreasing it at the desired points.

0 is a rod guided at its point 9 for movement in substantially horizontal path and in the direction of the troughs movement, as by a link p pivoted to the rod 0 at Q and to the frame 0 at r. The other end of the rod is reciprocated by suitable connections from the crank e, to move in a substantially vertical path, as by a lever arm Z pivoted to the frame at m.

The rod 0 is, at the beginning of the form's-1, n 'srsr. a, r3131 ward stroke, substantially radial to the lever Z and therefore receives little effective movement therefrom. As the stroke continues the rod 0 comes more at right angles to the arm Z and the velocity of its point g is therefore accelerated relatively to the angular velocity of the lever Z.

The trough a may be joined by .a connecting rod 8 directly to said point g or may be preferably joined to a downwardly directed extension t of the rod 0. For reciprocating the lever Z the latter forms one arm of bell crank Z 70 of which the point 2', is joined to the crank c by connecting rod h. The desired modification of the motion is partly obtained in this arrangement by so arranging the rod i1 and arm it, that at the beginning of the stroke they are approximately at right angles and therefore the angular velocity of the bell crank due to a linea' velocity of the connection rod is a minimum. As the stroke progresses the arm ll", becomes more oblique to the connecting rod 71/ and the relative angular velocity of the bell crank is increased The obliquity 5 of the connecting rod 72. assists this modification of the motion in the known manner.

The path of the pin of the crank e is indicated by the circle a. The path of the points '5, a and (j are indicated by the arcs n in m. The path of the crank pin on the forward stroke is shown divided into six equal parts by the points numbered 1 to 6. Sii'nilarly numbered points on the other paths 4), w, a? show the corresponding position of the points 2', a, and the retardation and acceleration which occur in the initial and latter periods of the forward stroke. The movements during the return stroke are substantially the reverse of those during the forward stroke.

In Figure 2 the dotted line A shows the curve of harmonic motion produced by con-- necting the conveyor direct to the crank through an ordinary connecting rod. The full line B shows the curve of motion. produced by the apparatus according to this invention. The line GD represents periods of time in the cycle of movement. and the height of the curves from line GD represents the amount of movement of the con tially the same horizontal plane as said conveyer trough, a horizontally disposed rod pivoted to said link: means for connecting one end of said rod to said conveyer trough, and a bell crank lever pivoted to said frame and having one arm pivoted to the free end of said rod and the other arm operated by said crank, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I affix my signature.

STANLEY NETTLETON. 

